Sister Act

A Musical Adaptation of Little Women debuts at Opera on the James

Written By: Katya Schwab ‘17

From Opera on the James's dress rehearsal of Little Women. 
Photo Courtesy of Meridith Kahn

Still looking for that excuse to get off campus this weekend? If you feel like venturing outside the red brick wall and embracing your inner opera-lover, consider attending Opera on the James debut performance of Little Women this Friday, March 28th or Sunday, March 30th.

American composer Mark Adamo adapted this classic tale from the novel by Louisa May Alcott. “The tie-in to a book that is still on the reading list of many schools is exciting for younger audiences, as well as those who read it many years ago and remember it very fondly,” stated Cecilia Schrieve, General Director at Opera on the James.

 Little Women follows the lives of the four Marsh sisters in the world of the 1870’s, recounting the loves and losses of Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy Marsh along with their childhood friend Laurie. “It is crafted in a series of flashbacks, and concurrent scenes with up to four locations happening at the same time,” said Schieve, explaining that Little Women aims to draw in an audience who appreciate theater and music alike.

A scene from Little Women.
Photo Courtesy of Meridith Kahn

Mezzo-soprano Sarah Heltzel plays Jo, a key character  to her central role in the Marsh family. Heltzel has performed for the Seattle Opera, New York City Opera, and Minnesota Concert Opera.  This season, she is also performing for the Wagner Society of New York and the Boston Philharmonic.

Debuting at Opera on the James for this performance is baritone Peter Kendal Clark, singing the role of Friedrick Bhaer, the man Jo accepts into her life in the final scene. Clark’s past performances include Sweeney Todd with Opera St. Petersburg, King Arthur in Camelot with Virginia Opera as well as several recent New York City appearances. 

Opera on the James selected Little Women for this year’s spring performance, “to attract the attention of families who came to the opera for the first time with The Magic Flute last year, as well as seasoned opera goers who would not have had the opportunity to hear this new, and VERY exciting piece.  Being able to offer this opera in the intimate Academy of Fine Arts Warehouse Theater is a very special experience for both audience and artists.”

The Board, staff, cast and orchestra are excited to share this musically complex opera and the compelling world created by Mark Adamo in Little Women.

Performances are March 28^th at 7:30 pm and March 30^th at 3:00 pm at the Academy of Fine Arts Warehouse Theater.

Adult tickets cost from $32.50 per person.  However, Opera on the James is offering a special discount to students at $12 per person when purchasing tickets through the box office at 434.528.3397. 

Randolph Alternative Spring Break Reaches Out to Local Community

Written By: Mi Dan Nguyen ‘14

Published in March 2014

In fall semester 2013, the Office of Leadership and Engagement organized Randolph Colleges first Alternative Fall Break, in which a group of students traveled to Camp Friendship in Palmyra, VA. The students spent their fall break helping the camp’s staff prepare for a Fall Family Weekend and assisting with other needs. It was indeed a meaningful learning experience for the students.

This semester, the Office of Leadership and Engagement once again offered an Alternative Spring Break trip for Randolph students.

On the last day of class, Friday, March 7th, 11 students gathered for the first time and had a brief departure meeting with Amanda Denny, the advisor of The Office of Leadership and Engagement. They left on Saturday morning for Carolina Beach in North Carolina, where they had their not-so-average spring break.

The Randolph Crew from the Alternative Spring Break volunteering at the New Vista School.
Photo courtesy of Amanda Denny.

 On the first day, after catching a ferry to visit Bald Head Island, the group volunteered at First Fruit Ministry — a shelter for runaway and abused kids and homeless people in Wilmington.

On Monday, the group volunteered at PAWS Place Pet Rescue and Habitat for Humanity Restore.

On the last day in North Carolina, the students went to North Carolina Aquarium and participated in Beach Sweep, cleaning the beach by picking up bottles, glass, and trash.

After 5 days in Carolina Beach, the group returned to campus on Wednesday, March 12^th, to continue their volunteer work at New Vistas School, doing gardening, cleaning, and weeding work.

Randolph students with Amanda Denny on break volunteering at PAWS Place Rescue.
Photo courtesy of Amanda Denny.

One of the participants, Ei Thant Sin ’16, said she particularly enjoyed the work at PAWS Pet Place Rescue. “Although I have done several volunteer back home before college, I have never done any volunteer work regarding animals. The founder of PAWS told me and other students a fascinating story about how rescued dogs are taken care and it appeals to me in a different perspective from how I used to look at animals. Overall, it was a fun educational and productive trip.”

Abigail Smith’ 15 was one of the student leaders and organizers of the trip. She is the community service intern with Amanda Denny this semester. “I was so excited for the trip and happy that so many people were interested in going,” she explained. “But I wish that we had more resources so that we did not have turn anyone down. To whom much is given, much is expected. For international students like me, it was definitely an eye-opening experience to be able to see the poor areas and community in need that I did not know about America.”

The aim of Alternative Spring Break is to provide students with a fun and meaningful learning experience through which the students can help others in need. It’s also a community building experience. During the break, the students got to live together in a beautiful beach house, made their own group meals, and spent quality time getting to know one another.

Hopefully, the college will continue to offer alternative breaks every year as excellent opportunities for our students to participate and do their parts, be active, benefit the community and work towards lifelong active citizenship.

Living and Learning or Living and Losing?

Written By: Katya Schwab ‘17

Published in March 2014 

A sign made by Webb 2nd residences invites new comers to the floor, one of the LLC dorms.
Photo courtesy of Katya Schwab '17

I stood surrounded by boxes, suitcases, and half-unpacked space-bags, surveying the supposedly fresh coat of cracking paint and chitchatting with other students who were dragging their belongings up the stairs. 

I repeated the phrases: “Hi, I’m Katya…I’m from Denver…and I’m a first-year” enough times to make my head spin.

I quickly realized that the majority of students on my hall, Webb 2^nd, were first-years like myself.  Initially, I assumed it was typical for all the first-years to live together.  Later that week, I heard that we were part of an experiment known as the Living Learning Community (LLC).

Every first-year was required to take a First-Year Seminar (FYS) class during the Fall 2013. LLC combined three different FYS classes with the SUPER program, and housed the students from these classes in Webb Hall. Each first-year was then assigned a roommate from his or her FYS class.

These FYS classes included:

1.     The “SUPER” program for students studying advanced math and science degrees.

2.     “Beauty and the Beasts” that examined the evolution of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale through history.

3.     “Creative Problem Solving” that encouraged students to use reason and creativity to invent original solutions to a variety of problems.

4.     “Holocausts” which studied the holocaust of World War II.  

Resident Assistant (RA) of Webb 2^nd, Anna Culpepper ’15, explained her understanding of the goals of LLC.

 “The idea was for first-years to live together and have class together; the year before, first-year class unity was poor,” said Culpepper, “ I think this was an attempt to solve that by putting together people taking common classes.  It assumed that sharing a class would mean they had common interests.”

However, out of the 35 residents originally living on Webb 2^nd, only 29 of the initial students remain in Spring semester 2014, myself included. 

“All of the first-years are tired of each other,” Culpepper said.  “There aren’t as many visitors because first-years don’t seem to meet as many people around campus.  It is easier to meet people in a co-ed and multi-aged environment” said Culpepper.

Recently, Alyssa Umberger ’17 a first year in the LLC with the Holocaust class, Professor Rohrer teacher of the Beauty and the Beasts FYS class, and myself discussed LLC.

“I heard reports that everyone in the Holocaust FYS class really bonded because of living together,” Professor Rohrer commented.

Umberger adamantly shook her head and retorted, “I’m sick of everyone from my FYS class.  We just can’t get away from each other.”

At the end of the Fall 2013 semester, Professor Rohrer asked my FYS class to share our thoughts about the LLC.  Most students agreed that it was convenient to walk down the hall and pick up an assignment that had been forgotten.  Others commented that it was nice to have a roommate with similar interests. 

At the time, I was in the process of changing roommates.  Neither my former roommate nor myself mentioned our frustrations.  But how many people would slight his or her roommate sitting two desks away?

I was one of four roommate changes to take place on Webb 2^nd in the 2013-2014 school year.  “The LLC severely limited roommate selection; rather than selecting roommates based on common interests from the entire class of 2017, the choice of roommate was limited to a single FYS class,” said Culpepper.

First-years are not the only residents living on Webb 2^nd.  Aside from Culpepper, two seniors and one junior live in the three singles on the hall.  Sarah Kass ’14, a senior living on Webb second, said, “I remember being intimidated by upperclassmen as a first-year so it’s nice that the first-years can live together with a few upperclassmen to act as role models.”

Kass continued on to say, “The upperclassmen enforce the traditions and honor code at Randolph.  I feel like a big sister on the Hall, and I like that the first-years come to ask me for advice.”

Culpepper also commented, “Having the upperclassmen here has positively effected the hall’s dynamic; upperclassmen have a lot to offer first-years. It gives first-years someone they can go to who they trust, other than just myself as the RA.  The upperclassmen on our hall can share their wisdom and maturity that the first-years wouldn’t find just living with each other.”

There is concern that the LLC alienates first-years from the rest of the student body. “It would be an awesome program at a larger school where first-years could easily feel lost in the student body, but it’s just too limiting at Randolph,” said Culpepper.

The administration has not commented on the future of the Living Learning Community in the upcoming school year. Dean of Students Matha Thornton has confirmed that a meeting is being scheduled to discuss LLC later this year.